History Trivia / MontyPythonsFlyingCircus

* MagnumOpusDissonance: John Cleese has often expressed frustration over the fact that, of all the high-minded, satirical sketches they'd done, it's the "Ministry Of Silly Walks," the one skit that deliberately made absolutely no sense, is considered their best.

** In the "Summarize Proust Competition" they muted Chapman's reference to "masturbating". As one of the Pythons put it, he was allowed to mention killing animals, but ''masturbation''? That's just horrible.

** AndNowForSomethingCompletelyDifferent

* BigNameFan: Music/PinkFlyod have often expressed a deep love for the show. Not only did they frequently halt recording sessions to watch it, but donated proceeds from ''Music/TheDarkSideOfTheMoon'' to the production of ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail.''

* HeyItsThatGuy: Relatively few roles were played by anyone outside of the Pythons themselves, and were normally relegated to whenever they needed more than six men on screen at a time, and Carol Cleveland normally played the more buxom women.
** However, the episode "Mr & Mrs Brian Norris' Ford Popular" closes with a fake talk show hosted by the "It's" Man. His guests are British singer Lulu and [[Music/TheBeatles Ringo Starr]]. ''As themselves.''
** Also appearing as himself, Richard Baker, a well-known straight-laced news anchor of the BBC, who's rather confused about [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKhit2nsoq4 lemon curry.]]
** Thames TV continuity announcer David Hamilton appeared as himself in Episode 39, which opens with the Thames TV logo and Hamilton declaring, "We've got an action-packed evening for you tonight on Thames. But right now, here's a [[BitingTheHandHumor rotten old BBC programme!]]"
** In addition to collaborating as a writer on a few sketches, Creator/DouglasAdams appears briefly in at least two sketches, once as a surgeon. Incidentally, this appearance was on Episode 42.

** Cleese also described their writing process as extremely loose and fluid, never knowing where ideas would come from. For instance, the Cheese Shop sketch was born out of an idea of someone asking for cheese in a chemist's shop, before they asked "Why would he ask for cheese in a chemist's shop?" and the answer was "Well, he went to a cheese shop and they didn't have any."

* BadExportForYou: Averted with the original episode package that aired on Creator/PBS in TheSeventies. The episodes were taken from the master tapes and not the BBC broadcast tapes, which meant that several of the cut scenes mentioned in the Executive Meddling entry below were untouched in the PBS version.

** Additionally, most episodes of the two Python precursor series, ''Do Not Adjust Your Set'' and ''At Last the 1948 Show'', have been wiped. This could have happened to ''Flying Circus'' itself were it not for the actions of Terry Gilliam, who bought the masters as soon as he could.

** In addition to collaborating as a writer on a few sketches, DouglasAdams appears briefly in at least two sketches, once as a surgeon. Incidentally, this appearance was on Episode 42.

** Even worse was the show's treatment by ABC in the US, which involved cutting shows for timing and removing anything the network considered objectionable - which, the Pythons claimed, included almost everything that was ''funny''. This led to a full-blown lawsuit between the Pythons and ABC, the ultimate result of which was the full reversion of copyrights to the Pythons' own company.

** In the "Summarize Proust Competition" they muted Chapman's reference to "masturbating".

* ExecutiveMeddling: If the episode with the Tudor porn shop seems disjointed, that's because it had to be edited rather severely before it was allowed to air.

** Additionally, most episodes of the two Python precursor series, ''Do Not Adjust Your Set'' and ''At Last the 1948 Show'', have been wiped.
*** This could have happened to ''Flying Circus'' itself were it not for the actions of Terry Gilliam, who bought the masters as soon as he could.
** There is an animated section in between the "Crackpot Religions" sketch and "How Not to Be Seen" involving Jesus and the two thieves being crucified on telephone poles, while an AlterKocker Satan (played by Idle) appears out of the ground. It was cut after its initial showing, can only be seen in low-grade, black-and-white footage, but the image of the crucifixes can be found in a split second when the episode is "recapped" in fast forward later in the show.
*** Now available [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWXWsPXVZiA in full color]].

** The "Political Choreographers" sketch was edited out of one episode after its initial broadcast and apparently only survives in a low-quality off-air recording.
** Additionally, most episodes of the two Python precursor series, ''Do Not Adjust Your Set'' and ''At Last the 1948 Show'', have been wiped.
*** This could have happened to ''Flying Circus'' itself were it not for the actions of Terry Gilliam, who bought the masters as soon as he could.
** There is an animated section in between the "Crackpot Religions" sketch and "How Not to Be Seen" involving Jesus and the two thieves being crucified on telephone poles, while an AlterKocker Satan (played by Idle) appears out of the ground. It was cut after its initial showing, can only be seen in low-grade, black-and-white footage, but the image of the crucifixes can be found in a split second when the episode is "recapped" in fast forward later in the show.

* MissingEpisode

* EditedForSyndication: In the first run (1975), show no. 38 started with a Party Political Broadcast that was choreographed. Upon the syndication rights changing in 1983, the brainiacs at Time-Life (first syndicators) erased it. It was replaced with brief superimposed titles. The first DVD release of the Monty Python 16-Ton Megaset delivered an even worse blow: the previews of BBC comedies ("Dad's Pooves," "Up The Palace," etc.) at the end were left out.

* ForgotToPayTheBill: In one episode the BBC runs out of money, and the gas and heat get turned off in the flat they use as their studio.

** Also appearing as himself, Richard Baker, a well-known straight-laced news anchor of the BBC, who's rather confused about [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKhit2nsoq4 lemon curry.]]

** There is an animated section in between the "Crackpot Religions" sketch and "How Not to Be Seen" involving Jesus and the two theives being crucified on telephone poles, while an AlterKocker Satan (played by Idle) appears out of the ground. It was cut after its initial showing, can only be seen in low-grade, black-and-white footage, but the image of the crucifixes can be found in a split second when the episode is "recapped" in fast forward later in the show.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Could you imagine a world ''without'' the show? At the time of filming, the BBC had a nasty habit of erasing tapes in order to reuse them, due to their cost (It sounds like a sketch in itself, doesn't it?); this is the fate that befell one of SpikeMilligan's programs, as well as much of the Python team's early work. Fortunately, Terry Gilliam purchased all of the masters of ''Flying Circus'' before this could happen, which is the main reason why this show has survived.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Relatively few roles were played by anyone outside of the Pythons themselves, and were normally relegated to whenever they needed more than six men on screen at a time, and Carol Cleveland normally played the more buxom women. However, the episode "Mr & Mrs Brian Norris' Ford Popular" closes with a fake talk show hosted by the "It's" Man. His guests are British singer Lulu and [[Music/TheBeatles Ringo Starr]]. ''As themselves.''
** Also appearing as himself, Richard Baker, a well-known straight-laced news anchor of the BBC, who's rather confused about [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKhit2nsoq4 lemon curry.]]

* HeyItsThatGuy: Relatively few roles were played by anyone outside of the Pythons themselves, and were normally relegated to whenever they needed more than six men on screen at a time, and Carol Cleveland normally played the more buxom women. However, the episode "Mr & Mrs Brian Norris' Ford Popular" closes with a fake talk show hosted by the "It's" Man. His guests are British singer Lulu and [[TheBeatles Ringo Starr]]. ''As themselves.''